Boot or shoe



(No Model.)

J. A. LEMMON.

BOOT 0R SHOE. No. 269,800. Patented Dec. 26,1882.

Miran STATES *ATENJT Fries.

JOHN A. LEMMON, or HILL enovn, VIRGINIA.

BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,800, dated December26, 1852,

Application filed October 9, 1882. (No model.)

1' 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoI-I A. LEMMON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hill Grove, in the county of Pittsylvania and Stateof'Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theMan u facture of Boots and Shoes; and I do declare the following to be afull. clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference'marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

The main obstacles which have heretofore prevented the successfulmanufacture of seamless shoes, either for the wholesale trade or to fillindividual orders for personal use, have been, first, the labor requiredto work out the wrinkles; secondly, the necessity for using flanky orunsubstantial leather, which, by reason of its having less strength andbody, would lessen the amountof labor required in working out thewrinkles. The last, but perhaps not the least, objection was that thepattern cut out would not leave the upper in shape for manufacture ofany style of shoe required.

My invention, I have demonstrated from practical experience, hasovercome said objections; and it consists of an upper having the vamp,quarters, and heel in one piece, and having a piece cut therefrom toform the ankleopening in substantially the form herein described andclaimed, and shown in the drawings.

To avoid the objections hereinbefore stated, 1 have found it necessaryin cutting the ankleopening to dispense with right lines and to make thedepth of the opening nearly equal to its width, to have its sides curvedoutwardly and its ends inwardly, avoiding short curves or corners, whichwouldcentralize the Wrinkles at such points. It is important to throwthe wrinkles as nearly equally at all points of the. opening aspossible, and yet have the opening the desired shape for formation inthe finished shoe. This result is accomplished by my iiivention. If thesides of the opening are straight, all the wrinkles form at the ends,

and vice versa. If a perfectly round cut were made, the wrinkles wouldof course form equally at all points; but such an opening would make thesides too low and the ends too high.

The shape of my pattern is such that it distributes the wrinkles betterthan any pattern heretofore known. I

With my pattern I can make seamless shoes of any of the popularstyles-as, for instance, the buttoned gaiter, imitation buttoned gaiter,imitation tie gaiter, tie, laced, imitation laced gaiter, side-laced,side-laced imitation buttoned, side-laeed imitation tie, &c.

Some of'the advantages of my invention, not before stated, are, first,by reason of'the ends being gradually curved inwardly and extending fromside to side the depth of the opening is increased by turning theinwardlyprojecting parts outwardly, whereby I am enabled to cuta minimumquantity of leather from the uppcrand utilize smaller pieces; secondly,by the-better distribution of the wrinkles around the edges of theopening I am enabled to use strong and substantial leather, whereby whenthe upper is lasted and the inwardlycurved end pieces are drawnoutwardly very few wrinkles remain to be rubbed out.

The upper halves of two ordinary railroad T-rails placed togethentreadsoutward, would form a figure a transverse section of which would besubstantially like the patternmade in accordance with my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View of a shoe-upperembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a shoe made after my improvement.

ln carrying out myinvention, Icutfrom the piece of leather orprospective upper A, by means of a pattern laid thereon, an opening, B,for the insertion of the foot. This opening B, as will be observed moreparticularly by reference to Fig. 1, is approximately square in itsgeneral shape. In other words, its rear and forward edges or sides arecurved inward at the center at a moderate degree, as at a a, with thecorners rounded or oppositely curved, as at I), while its sides arecurved slightly out of a straight line outward, as at c c. The piece Bis further out to cause it to assume substantially the shape shown inFig. 1, for attachment to the sole.

The upper can be made of either flanky or substantial leather, to whichmay be added by stitching or sewing on an added piece when it is desiredto be used in makinga gaiter or boot.

The waste piece removed from the upper can he utilized for making a finequality of leather strings. The upper can also he ornamented bycontigurated stitching, an example of which is shown in the figures ofthe drawings.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- An upper for a shoe orboot, made in one 1 piece, substantially as herein shown and described,the ankle-opening having an inwardlyprojecting end, a, and sides havingaslightlyoutward curvature, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The upper A, cut to assume substantially the shape shown, and havingthe ankle-opening B constructed with inward-projecting curved edges a(l/ at its rear and forward edges, and with slightl outward curved sides0, as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN A. LEMMON.

\Vitnesses:

B0. A. T. CLEMENT, B0. A. CLEMENT, Jr.

